Star Valley Health urges Afton to back special service district to shore up EMS funding

Mike Hunsaker, chief operating officer of Star Valley Health, told the Afton Town Council that local emergency medical services are operating at a reported $1.5 million loss even after $1.3 million in revenue from the hospital district mill levy. He asked the council to provide a letter of support for the creation of a Special Service district that would provide a stable funding mechanism similar to existing fire districts.

Hunsaker said Lincoln County Commissioners have opened a 60–90 day public comment period on the proposal. Under the structure he described, a five‑member board appointed by the county commissioners could later seek voter approval of a mill levy to fund EMS operations.

No formal council motion or vote on a letter of support is recorded in the minutes. The next procedural steps recorded are the county’s public comment period and any subsequent action the county commissioners or voters may take. The council did not record an outcome on a letter request in the minutes for this meeting.